Irish Cooking (and Drinking).

I apologize for not posting anything in the past three weeks. I have a lot going on and I have been busy and away from any ponderous thoughts or musings. But the other night I had an experience that I thought I would share. Its roots were from the Thanksgiving weekend of my previous post. That weekend I made the plans to attend the function that I finally arrived on my calendar.

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving I decided to take the family out to the mall for lunch. My daughter was in town for the holiday and it is always nice to share a meal where we can just sit and talk and not worry about the preparation and dishes. We had no special design or plan on where to eat so we just kind of winged it. We had just happened to park near an Irish restaurant. We had eaten at the restaurant before there before. We liked it.

I was kind of reluctant to eat there this day because it was Sunday and I would miss part of the football game. Oh well, majority rules. We stepped inside. The hostess sat us and gave us a printed announcement that the chef of the restaurant is now offering cooking classes once a month. Those of you who follow this blog regularly know that I used to be a chef. I had some experience with different cuisines. But I had never really studied or even knew much about Irish cuisine. This chef was offering instruction on how to cook Irish food. I signed up.

The menu for the class would start with a green salad with apples and candied walnuts topped with Irish cheddar cheese and a malted vinaigrette. For the main course he was serving (and teaching) the Irish favorite, a Boxty, the Irish potato pancake, with chicken and a white wine buerre blanc (white butter sauce). The entire evening would be topped off with a Guinness ice cream. I jumped at the chance to go and learn something about a cuisine about which I am unfamiliar.

I arrived at the appointed time and place and was surprised to see the room set with about 25 settings. Each setting was set with a placemat with four little plastic cups on it. Each cup had about an ounce, ounce and a half of Jameson's Irish Whiskey. The Jameson folks had arranged a whiskey tasting for the group. Today was our lucky day.

Given the go ahead we first tasted the standard Jameson product. Tasted great, taunted and warmed the throat on the way down. Next up was the twelve year old whiskey. Man, that was smooth. Nice aroma, and very smooth on the throat. I could have stopped right there. But there were two more. We also tried the Jameson Gold and the eighteen year old. These were both very smooth tasting. I like them both. The gold is my favorite. I am putting it on my Christmas list.

After four to five ounces of wonderful Irish whiskey I was getting kind of buzzed. I was loaded. By this time the chef started cooking and I was involved. I was drinking a lot of water and hoping I sobered up by the time the class was finished. The instruction turned out great and the food was fantastic. I really enjoyed my time. It was quite the experience. I am going to go in after the holidays and sign up for the next session. I am hoping the Jameson lady comes back.

D.

Happy Thanksgiving Day

This is my favorite of all the national and local holidays that we celebrate in this country. It is still a pure holiday devoted to thanking God for the wonderful benefits we enjoy in our lives. It is all about being grateful for our bounty and circumstance.

I enjoy the fact that we can get together with all of our family and friends and just enjoy their company. This is, of course, if we all take turns and do our separate parts in cooking the Thanksgiving dinner. I took over the turkey carving duties about 5 years ago. My dad, 79, was getting too old to stand there in the kitchen and do the carving. Not to mention getting the bird from the oven to the counter. There are just too many of us to carve at the table. We always do the buffet style thing. It works well for our family and extended family, sometimes up to 20 people.

The last few years we have been trying to get my mom, 75 to stay out of the kitchen. She has spent her life serving her family and now she just needs to relax and enjoy the grandchildren. Easier said than done.

My mom's kitchen is a big room, large enough for my sisters, my wife and I (and anyone else who wants to help) to move around and get things set up for the buffet. I like for the turkey to hit the buffet hot. We make the stuffing, the gravy and all the side dishes while I carved the turkey and transfer it to platters on the counter. It works out fine. Almost.

My mom likes her house comfortable. But she would always come into the kitchen and complain that it was too hot in her kitchen. She would turn on the air conditioner or open the window. So it works well with me that I am carving the turkey under an open window. I would feel rushed to get the turkey onto the platters while it is hot. Well, it added to my stress. So this year I came up with another option.

When I was working as a cook at a world class resort and casino in Lake Tahoe I remembered one night we deboned a duck for one of our dinner specials. So this year I was looking for a way to quickly carve the turkey. I remembered the deboning of the duck. I practiced two weeks ago with a small chicken. Boy that was easy. I thought, no problem, this will work out well.

So, last night we went over to my parents house and I deboned a 20 pound turkey. My wife brought dinner and we made an evening of it. After dinner I set about to debone the turkey. I laid out a towel, the cutting board, sharpened my knives, and readied my pans. I deboned the bird at the edge of the table as I had an audience sitting around the table. It proved to be more difficult than the little chicken.

I won't go into details about how to debone a turkey (I did a google search for it). But I was glad I had a sharp knife and the patience. It took me about 45 minutes to complete the job. But I think it went very well. I shall have to update this post later to let you all know how the meal turned out.

UPDATE, Friday, November 27:
The meal turned out ok. I had my dad stuff the bird and put it in the oven sometime in mid morning. We like to eat about 2PM so I figured about 3 hours for cooking.

I probably should have tied the bird together because as it cooked the juices mingled with the stuffing, the stuffing turned to mush and fell out of through the turkey holder rack in the bottom of the pan. I bought the rack last year because it was extremely difficult to lift the bird from the pan and this one had good handles. So the turkey was sitting in about an inch or two of soggy dressing. And since it drained from the cavity the breast collapsed and it didn't look pretty. Oh well, live and learn. The next time will be different. We will try it again in a few years.

D.

Weekend Stuff

It's another Saturday night (what a great song that was). My wife and I are watching all the shows we taped during the week and didn't get around to watching. I spent the day trying to set my office up and I even re-upholstered an old office chair. Well, I stripped off the old material and I was going to re-upholster it with some old material I had laying around the house (an old pair of jeans or an old shirt). My wife said she would stop and get some new material from the fabric store. I was hoping to get it all done rather cheaply. And then, I ran out of staples. I am not much of a handyman so maybe I was looking for an excuse not to finish it. But I have to get some tomorrow.

But now we are watching all the shows we taped this week. We are homebodies. We don't drink or party much. So we stay home and relish each others company. I have a great family. I have a great wife. We get along great and we enjoy each others company. We took a walk together tonight and we shall spend tomorrow together shopping and watching football. What a life.

So that is our weekend. But we have fun.

D.

Come to Me

If ever lives were destined
Ours were of the fate.
Hoping to be entwined
We wound up separate.

Time was all you asked for
From one such as me,
But my impatience was at war
With my loyalty.

Compassion from the heart
Forgiveness from the soul,
Despair is just a state of mind
With no place to go.

Come to me, my lover lost
And soothe the heart that yearns
Before I die old and gray
The oldest man that learns.

By David R. Normand, Copyright 1979, 2009

NOTE: I wrote this when I was seventeen. Long time ago. People have asked me to post more poems, so, since I don't write much anymore, I had to dig this one out of the old paper files of my old, unpublished manuscript. Yellowed paper, dusty, and long forgotten emotions. I dig up old wounds and find that the healing is accomplished.

D.

When I Go.

This is my all-time favorite song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imf2GYV0xNo


Very well done.

A World Away

Somewhere in China,
There's a poet just like me.
Struggling with who he is,
Longing to be free.

Does he write his poems down
With a pencil or a pen,
Or does he dip a quill in ink,
Like countless other men?

Does his poetry speak to others,
Or is that secret his?
Do others know his passion,
Or must he keep it hid?

Do they speak of freedom,
In the town where he lives?
Can he dream of having
A life that is only his?

C. 2007 D. Normand

polished cutlery - a writing prompt (exercise).

The cutlery was sharpened and polished. His boss had been after him for weeks now to come up with some new menu item; and item that would bring great attention to the restaurant. Day after day, night after night. The same old thing. "Give me something new; something wild. We need to be famous.

If famous was what he wanted, famous is what he would get. His boss came in that night. Said the same thing, "give me something new, something exciting, something to get my blood flowing." And the chef grabbed his newly sharpened and polished cutlery and sliced through the vegetables and herbs that would become the basis for his new and exciting menu creation. This was just the beginning. And the dish would become famous.

D.

NOTE: I gave myself a writing prompt. The idea was to take a thought and write two pages from it. I got two paragraphs. My concentration is shot. My next project is to create a recipe that can go along with this. Now that is a challenge.

gecko

I was paying bills today and had the television on in the background. I noticed a commercial with that annoying green gecko. The story caught my ear and I started watching.

The story was that the gecko walks into his boss's office because the boss wanted to see him. The boss starts talking about trust. He steps out from behind his desk and starts to do an exercise on trust. This exercise is where one participant trusts that the other participant will catch him as he falls backward. I looked and saw the boss, towering over the gecko and he started to fall backwards.

I was thinking "great, what a perfect way to get rid of this gecko." And then they cut away. They don't tell you what happened to the gecko. I can only hope.

D.

Some Thoughts for a Saturday Night.

I can't swim...very well. I watched the news today about disabled vets learning to water ski (among other things). I just don't like the water.

I can’t read anymore…too much going on. My concentration is shot. I have a household full of books. Tonight on the news was a story about books. They are obsolete. The new method is the "kindle", among others. I should feel good, I can't read (mostly don't have much time) and books are going obsolete. I won't be missing something.

I don't do much around the house anymore. Just not important and I am too tired. Truthfully, I never learned how. I never really liked it, anyway.

I am a poet...in a world where no one reads poetry anymore. What is a person to do? Just keep plugging on I guess.

D.

A little poem for today:

I smiled as you went by,
our hands gently touched.
I let out an audible sigh,
I know, it wasn't much.

D. Normand.

Today

Today was such an awesome day. I am going to do it all over again tomorrow. Such beautiful thoughts, so many emotions, so much joy. Things are going well.

I hope your experiences are as joyful and fulfilling as mine have been. It is wonderful to be involved.

D.

You Go Luc.

I recieved an e-mail from my sister tonight. My twelve year old nephew is achieving some national recognition. He is a very accomplished viola player and now, my sister tells us that:

Lucas was nominated last Spring to attend the Junior National Young Leaders Conference this Fall in Washington, D.C. He will be representing his school and attending the conference from Saturday, September 26 –Thursday, October 1. Lucas is very excited about this trip and feels honored to be a part of it.

A little background on the Conference: “the purpose of the Junior National Young Leaders Conference is to honor and inspire the most exceptional middle school students in the nation, distinguished by their academic excellence, leadership potential, commitment to excellence, desire to succeed, and maturity, and to reinforce the virtues of leadership, citizenship, and democracy while using Washington, D. C. as their classroom. They will have the opportunity to meet and learn from some of today’s leaders and work with other students from across the nation”.

Below is an excerpt from the press release.

LOCAL STUDENTS TO WALK IN FOOTSTEPS OF U.S. LEADERS
Junior National Young Leaders Conference Offers Historic Perspectives

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This fall, over 250 outstanding middle school students from across the United States will take part in an extraordinary leadership conference in Washington, D.C. Themed Voices of Leadership: Reflecting on the Past to create the Future, the Junior National Young Leaders Conference (JrNYLC) introduces young people to the rich tradition of leadership while enhancing their leadership skills and abilities. They will not only understand the key concepts of leadership, but to apply them in their everyday lives…….

PonderingDave's comments. I am just so very proud of my nephew. He is a very talented individual. I look forward to hearing about this conference.

Apologize? What for?

Last week President Obama gave a speech.

Once again he lied to the American people. He said that "his" health care bill would not provide benefits to illegal aliens. South Carolina congressman Wilson yelled out “you lie”. This outburst shocked all in attendance.

Wilson apologized to the president for the outburst the next day. The president accepted the apology.

While Congressman Wilson was apologizing a house committee was adding verbiage to the health care bill that would close the loophole that would give health care coverage to illegal aliens.

Having closed the loop hole, the next day congress decides to make congressman Wilson apologize (for calling the president a liar) on the house floor.

I ask that congressman Wilson not do that. What he said was correct. There was no provision in the bill to preclude government benefits to illegal aliens until the House committee put it in two days after Mr. Obama lied about it. (Has he read the bill?) Congressman Wilson has done what he needed to do. He apologized for the outburst, not the content.

The House of Representatives should apologize to the American people.

This Just In...

Scientist have found that other planets in our solar system are experiencing warming also. Hmmm... could it possibly be due to solar activity?



http://www.livescience.com/environment/070312_solarsys_warming.html

Trees

We have been walking for many months now. Always the same distances. Nothing too grueling. We have fun. My wife and I have seen a lot of interesting things. We have gotten to know our neighborhood.

One thing I noticed is how our neighborhood changes over the course of southern California's two seasons. The most striking thing I saw were the trees at the local grocery store. When they lose their leaves in the winter they take on a very eerie character. The branches are all knobby and in the early darkness of autumn they look beautiful against the twilight sky.

I had given my cell phone to my son. I could not take a picture. My wife said I should take a camera. I don't have a camera. Except on the phone. But I don't have one of those either.

I found many trees in the neighborhood. I want to capture them. I am having trouble remembering the location of all the pretty trees. I want to go back and photograph them. But then it occurred to me about a week ago that I am a poet and I could just write the description of the trees. So, I started writing little poems about trees.

Then, the other day, I got an e-mail from the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. The 2010 poetry weekend is scheduled for next March in Santa Barbara. The featured poet is Dorianne Laux. I went online to check out her poetry. The first poem of hers I found was "the life of trees".

One of the first contests I ever entered my poetry in was the Rocky Mountain Poetry Society's Joyce Kilmer Memorial Poetry contest in 1979. Joyce Kilmer is known for his famous poem, "Trees". I was selected as an Honorable Mention in that contest. So these little coincidences about trees told me that I should write more about trees. So, following are some of my recent poems about trees.

Home
"Our neighbor’s trees. Lush with thick green leaves. Thick enough to hide the 20 or so birds that live there. There are 20 but they sing and sound like hundreds. We take our afternoon walks and listen to voices. We are not smart enough to translate to English. We are not curious enough to wonder. We just like the sound, on our walks. Not so much on an early Sunday morning when all we want to do is sleep. The sun comes through the window and my wife asks me if we can afford darker curtains, or blinds. Or maybe plywood… "

Jacarinda's
"We walked in the fall of the year. The trees were not in bloom, thankfully. Purple would upset the monochrome. And as we passed under the fanning branches, twenty shades of green, darkness and light, shaded by the upper branches. A more flattering photograph could not have been taken. Green leaves and branches against a cloudless, blue sky. Pictures, photographs, moments captured in time. A tree, a breeze, a memory."

Life is full of coincidences. And someone once said that there are signs everywhere. I am just trying to find my way...find out what it is I am supposed to be doing. Maybe I will just write more poems about trees.

David
　
　

Wanderlust, 2009

Notes from our vacation (July 18 to July 26, 2009). At times it seemed like the vacation from hell.

July 22th: I sit in God's country. The land that I love. Waiting in a hotel room for friends coming to visit us. We are in Lake Tahoe, California side, south shore. God's country. Yes, but I feel more inclined to use the term "vacation from hell". I have been sick the last few days, coughing, weak and tired. Started on Saturday, the first day of vacation. I slept in the car the entire first day. An eight hour drive.

July 18th: We stopped at the Manzanar Historic Site and I was too sick to really process the events that took place there. I wanted to see it and show the kids but I could not fully take in the place. I want to say enjoy but that word doesn't some how belong in this discussion.

Manzanar Historic Site is a place dating back to the World War II era. This was one of the nine (?) Internment Camps around the country where Americans of Japanese descent were sent during the war. I am not going to debate the issue here. The reality of it was that it happened. I wanted to show my kids that fact. I think they got something out of it. I think they understood. I don't want them to agree or disagree, I just want them to know. I know K___, my 19 yo daughter, spent a lot of time reading the placques and looking at the collection of pictures. I had driven by the historical marker for the past 30 years and I think I only stopped once or twice. I am glad I made the effort this time to tour the newly opened information center. It was very enlightening. I wish I had felt better to fully immerse myself in the history. I think I shall mark this place for another stop, another time.

July 19th: We arrived in Lake Tahoe on Sunday afternoon. I was starting to feel better. Once a year we try to live like millionaires. We save all year long to be able to afford a vacation to the place or places where we fell in love. Over the years we have taken our children to 11 different states and countless historic sites, monuments, parks, and just plain fun sites. I thought that this is what I was supposed to do as a dad.

I remember my dad packing all of us, mom, dad, + seven kids in the back of a station wagon on our yearly vacation. I can name all of the places we went, all of the places we saw. And I try to show my kids the same thing. Problem is, a child's memory is not always as accurate as fact. My dad recently told me that we, as a family, rarely took a yearly vacation. But I remember...

I look back and think. But Dad...we went to... And then it occurred to me. Dad was right. We took a trip to Washington, D. C. in June, 1972. I remember waking up in a campground in Northern Virginia. June 17th, 1972. I was listening to the news on my transistor radio, one of the few luxuries that I was allowed to bring. The report was that burglars had been discovered at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Hotel building. I remember that trip. The monuments, the Smithsonian, the Capitol. I think that trip we also made it to Gettysburg and Hershey, Pa.

Another trip we took was to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Mt. Rushmore. This was actually a family reunion trip that we took to Minnesota. So, out of the ten years that I am remembering we took two trips. And then there were two vacations that my parents and younger siblings took where us older teenagers stayed home.

Whether we took yearly vacations or not, the trips that we did take were so influential on my development that they gave me this wanderlust that I experience today. I cannot be satisfied staying in one place. I need to move. I need to experience new places and things. I have seen this beautiful country and I know there is still much more to see. I want to give that gift to my children.

To wrap this all up, I was extremely disappointed in this years vacation. I contracted a small cough the day before we left and that developed into Pneumonia on the first day, I am sure. The next four to five days I was feeling crummy. I didn't feel like doing much of anything. In Tahoe the air is thin. I think this exasperated my lungs and caused the pneumonia. I had wanted to go hiking with my son. That plan was scrapped. I had trouble breathing in the thin air. I had wanted to visit with some old friends. That was scrapped because I wasn't feeling well and I didn't want to expose them, given their own health issues. It was a disappointing vacation.

My wife, ever the optimist, said that it was enough to just be in Tahoe. I can agree with that. We sat by the lake one day, having lunch and visiting with Sacramento friends. We enjoyed the lake, the views, the breezes. It is where we fell in love. It is what I consider the beginning of my life. I shall always enjoy going there, in spite of everything else.

D.

Don Coryell

Today, I had a brush with greatness. I won't say where but I ran into Don Coryell, the football great and architect of "air coryell". He was looking pretty good for 80. Just the glance of him sitting there brought back all the memories of watching the San Diego Chargers in the 1980s. What a team they were. Lots of excitement. Lots of heartbreak. Lots of fun.

It was a pleasure to see him. I wish I had known more about him. Reading his bio on Wikipedia I ask myself "how is this guy not in the pro football Hall Of Fame?" I read the arguments, but still... his contributions alone should warrant admission.

I just found out that he was the coach at Whittier College in Whittier, CA. My daughter goes to Whittier. I would have liked to talk to him but I just smiled and nodded. It was not the venue to converse.

Don Coryell looked like a real class individual. And those rings. He had several rings. I remember the Chargers winning several division titles, so they must have been division rings. He sure won enough of those. It was good to see him. He means a lot to a lot of San Diego Football fans. A very pleasant surprise, for me anyway.


Update Dec. 1, 2009 (thanks to Dan Mc.):
Don Coryell is 80 years young. I don't remember where I got my original information. I have corrected my post.

Mortality

It has been a crazy couple of weeks for a 51 year old American. The idols of my formative years are dropping like flies. Even people my own age are dying. It really makes you take stock.

I grew up in the 60's and 70's. I watched a kid my age become a pop star (Michael Jackson). I watched a beautiful girl from south Texas (only 11 years older than me) become a sex symbol and actress (Farrah Fawcett). These people were my age and probably kept me thinking about the things I do with my life. They accomplished a lot in their lives and I was striving to hit the goals that I had set for myself.

I also grew up watching Johnny Carson and because of that I was exposed to Ed McMahon and Fred Travalena. I also saw Fred Travalena when I lived in Lake Tahoe in the late 70's, early 80's. And I guess, from watching late night television I was also exposed to Gale Storm and, more recently, Billy Mays.

So, the past couple of weeks have affected me in that I must now look at my own mortality. I have always known that life is temporary. I believe we all do. It is the perception of younger people that the expanse of years are all ahead of us. But as we age we learn the truth. Time is fleeting. We learn to make the best of our time. We chose our activities and do not waste our chances.

When I was a teenager my girlfriend was all gaga over the teen idols. She followed Michael Jackson and all of the other heartthrobs. I, and my friends, heard all about these guys. Consequentially, we did not follow them. We hated references to them. We did not like them. We were jealous of them. Fine. My music choices and likes were far different than hers. I had knowledge of MJ and I had followed his career. How could you not? He was in all the papers.

My brother had a Farrah Fawcett poster on the wall of his bedroom. I saw the first episode of "Charlie's Angels". I was not impressed with the story. But I enjoyed looking at the angels. Hey, I was 15/16 years old, who wouldn't?

And now, 35 years later, we are met with the news that three pop culture icons from our youth have passed away. This certainly gives you pause for thought. One of these icons was the same age as me. (Well, two - Billy Mays and Michael Jackson you could consider roughly the same age.) One can't help but be affected by that.

Take care of yourselves. Be healthy, be happy, be good, be safe.

D.

Items From My Desk...

This from several years ago:

While driving the other day, my wife and I spotted a sign for an upcoming meeting.

"A thimble club?" my wife asked.

And I deadpanned, "Sew."

"Long As I Can See The Light" by John Fogerty

That song is still one of my favorites. I think it is beautifully written and tells a great story about the endurance of love; the flame burning bright until the lovers return. This particular John Fogerty song came on my iPod today at work. I was trying to work and had to drown out some background noise (blathering of co-workers). I find that this song relaxes me. I am overcome at times by the inherent spirituality in the song. I find it supremely satisfying.

Now most of my readers know me as a poet and the above John Fogerty song inspired me. I was lulled into some thoughtfulness for a moment. John Fogerty was immediately followed by Greg Brown's "The Poet Game". This is a haunting song about the regret over lost loves, lost friends. I have lived 51 years on this earth and I suffer the regret of lost lovers and friends. It is a fact of life that we cannot change. Indeed, it is probably that regret that has made me the poet that I am. And, yes, I play "The Poet Game". I believe all, no most, poets do.

The game is that love affair with regret and loss. They can, regret and loss, become our muses. We tend to cherish those memories that got away. We hang on to them. We can't forget. We know what they could have been but we can't let them go. They become the regrets of our lives. They become our sadness. The friendships we lose. The loves lost. The regrets...

These songs then become my soundtrack for my thoughts. And all of this reminded me of a quote I read in a magazine while flying to a business trip ten years ago. I remember the article. It mentioned a book -- "Songlines", by Bruce Chatwin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Chatwin &

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Songlines). Chatwin's premise was that language began with song. Interesting theory. I can certainly see song as an expression of love. The theory kind of makes sense. This certainly plays into my instincts as a poet. My poems are songlike. My poems are sometimes the narrative of my emotional life. My "Songlines" if you will. When I am happy I sing. When I am sad, I write poetry.

My wife says my poetry is sad. Perhaps. But I will leave you with this poem from A.E. Housman:

They say my verse is sad: no wonder.
Its narrow measure spans
Rue for eternity, and sorrow
Not mine, but man's.

This is for all ill-treated fellows
Unborn and unbegot,
For them to read when they're in trouble
And I am not.

Speaking of Hurricanes...

Yes, another hurricane story. Growing up in New Orleans, hurricane country. Yep, I got hurricane stories.

Camille, 1969. 190 mph winds, 25 foot storm surge and a pressure of 26.84 inches. Incredible. The bad thing is that 225 people lost their lives and 50 to 75 were never found.

I remember Camille. It was my mom's birthday, August 17th. We have pictures of our dinner party in the family room. The patio window is boarded up. We were having cake. It was fun. We had the map on the wall where we tracked the hurricane's progress. That was the smart thing to do. Track the hurricane. We were new in New Orleans, having arrived in February from Buffalo, NY. We had no place to evacuate to.

We spent the night in the living room, sleeping on the floor in our sleeping bags. Shortly after dark, the wind started blowing. Later in the evening my older brother and sister went with my dad upstairs. My dad wanted to check on the windows. Screens and tiles were blowing around on the street outside. My dad wanted to know which of our screens were gone. My brother and sister came downstairs and said the house was moving with the wind. They said I should go and check it out. I didn't want to.

I was a quiet, shy, 11 year old kid. Feeling my house move in a storm was not a feeling I really wanted to experience with all the rain and wind blowing around outside. It was a fear that I really didn't want to know. I had too much fear going on already that night. Didn't need anymore. But we all went to sleep later and woke up safe and sound.

My friend and I hopped on our bikes the next morning to inspect the damage to the neighborhood. All we saw were blown down fences, shingles in the street, and broken trees. We got off lucky. We survived. 50 miles to the east 255 people lost their lives. We had friends who lived in the area of most destruction. They had eight feet of water in their house. We helped them clean up after the hurricane.

I remember Camille. More info here - http://www.geocities.com/hurricanene/hurricanecamille.htm.

D.

Carmen

I remembered this story today. I think it was Carmen. Hurricane Carmen, 1977 . I was an 18 year old kid sent to fill up the family cars prior to the big wind. Carmen was headed straight to New Orleans, much like Katrina did a few years ago. The city was bracing itself for a big storm. My chore was to make sure all the cars were gassed up. I had one left.

The convenience store/gas station was packed.

I paid for the gas and went to the gas pumps to fill up the car with gas in the blowing rain. I put the nozzle in the tank of the car. Pulled the handle. Nothing.

Rain coming down. Wind blowing. I had a rain coat on, of course. But the wind blew the rain in. I had no hat.

I tried the handle again. Nothing.

I was cold, wet and angry. I went into the store, stood at the entrance and yelled at the top of my lungs to the clerk, who was extremely busy. "TURN THE GAS PUMP ON." As soon as he looked at me, sopping wet, he realized he forgot. I went to pump my gas. I am sure that everyone in the store had a good laugh at the sad sack, shy kid standing there waiting for his gas.
D.

Air and Water (based on a true story)

The Diver

Water and air.
Water of life.
He entered the water with air on his back
To explore the unexplored. Cheating death.
By breathing.
He loved the quiet, the solitude, the peace.

He found a kelp forest, dancing with the waves.
The choreography enthralled him and he swam in
To join the dance.
The joy of unity overwhelmed him.
The kelp reached out
For their new member.
He became one with the sea…entangled.

The Pilot

Air and water.
Air, the unseen giver of life. Essential from a baby’s first pat.
He entered the air surrounded by machine.
His soaring gave him power and strength over gravity.
He flew for the solitude, the peace.

He saw the beauty, every time he flew.
He loved taking off over the ocean. From this height he could
See the fish and the kelp and the color of the water.
This night he flew he glanced down at the water below.

What was the glowing light?
He looked…dot…dot…dot…dash…dash…dash
Dot…dot…dot….
This can’t be good… he called it in.
And flew circles until the harbor patrol arrived.

Two men seeking solitude in their own way.
That day air and water came together.
Joined forever in a life.

The diver who escaped for solitude,
Now forever joined.
With the Pilot
Who saved his life.


D.
C. 2007, David R. Normand.

Signs

The last few days I have spent pondering, really pondering, my future as a blogger, as a writer. I have been looking at all things. I have found several signs. My blog of June 9, 2009 set the tone
(http://ponderingdave.blogspot.com/2009/06/pressure.html). What does my future hold? I am still pondering. And today, during my lunch break reading, I come across a little advice from one of my favorite columnists (Jay Nordlinger of National Review).

People have always asked him, "What can I do to break into journalism?" Jay's advice can be found here ( http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NjczMjc3OTM2MzI1YWQ5MzMxMjMzYTViM2ZiOWQwMzg=).

Jay told his readers, "... And let me suggest that you find topics off the beaten path: topics that have not been trodden by hundreds of others. Maybe something that only you can write about. Maybe something that you have noticed, uniquely, or quasi-uniquely...Do you have some quirky area of expertise?....Cast your net as wide as possible: Seek out every publication, every editor, every contact. Work for free or for pay, it matters not, at first. Do some blogging on your own, or some other self-publishing."

Wow. Thanks Jay. I have been following your advice even before you gave it. I am on my way.

D.

PS: Just my luck. I decide to become a journalist and columnist just when almost all of the newspapers in the country are starting to, or thinking about, cutting back or go under. Just when I decide to do something, that something goes away. Maybe I shouldn't invest in the stock market.

Pressure

The intention of this blog has been, for me, to write some interesting insights (ponderings) into everyday life. I hope that I have come close to offering some insight. I know that, at times, I just write about nothing, just to give you something to read. I have felt bad about that. But I do not want my readers to think that I have forgotten this blog. The idea behind this blog has been an exercise to make me a better writer and also to train myself to write more often.

This past week I have felt bad about my lack of effort. And today I was reading my favorite magazine and website at lunch time. I came across a bit of second hand advice from one of my intellectual heroes. It spoke right to my mood this past week.

My hero was William F. Buckley. When I was in college (the first time), I was taking history and English courses. I wanted to become an intellectual. I wanted to understand our society. I subscribed to several magazines from across the political spectrum, left to right. I did this for several years and at the end of my college career the only magazine that stuck was Buckley's National Review. I am still a subscriber even today. Buckley was one of the smartest men in America. He stood for the individual, freedom, self-determination, and personal liberty and responsibility.

WFB died last year. And today, his friend, Rick Brookhiser, was interviewed about his new book
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YmVhYzk5NGQ4ZjgwYmE1YWVkZWNhZGFhNjE5ZjBlMzE=#more) on Buckley. One of the editors at National Review interviewed Mr. Brookhiser and asked him what Buckley taught him about writing.

"Swing for the fences. Why not? We don’t remember the cautious because we never read them in the first place."

So here I am. Laying out my dreams, desires and aspirations. For that quote to come to me in a week where I am having doubts about what I am doing, it just amazes me. I truly believe that there is a force out there; I believe that someone is looking out for me. And I shall strive to "swing for the fences" in this effort. Please don't forget about me and I will try not to forget about you. I will try to post often enough to keep you interested.

D.

Susan Boyle

Susan Boyle is my hero.

I am sure we have all heard the recent Cinderella story of Susan Boyle. I understand her story. So many people spend their anonymous lives toiling away at jobs or responsibilities simply because of those responsibilities. It takes a character trait that I call "responsifortitude" - doing the tasks expected because no one else is available or willing to do it. It is no surprise then, that these people are my heroes.

Susan Boyle is my hero. She is a lady who is trying to make something of her drab life. That is what I started to do when I started this blog. I wanted to reach my true destiny. I wanted to achieve my life's goal. Somehow I got sidetracked and distracted by life and responsibilities and I forgot to focus on my own dream.

Susan has started on her journey. I wish her well. Even though she didn't win, she is still a winner in my book and I am sure that she will succeed. I look forward to hearing more from her in the future.

D.

The Day I Fixed Lunch for Jay Leno

I have been a fan of Jay Leno's for a very long time. I followed him when he was a young comic in the 70's doing various clubs and an occasional appearance on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson". I always enjoyed his humor. I wish him well in his new endeavor. I can't say that I will miss him on the tonight show because I haven't been a faithful viewer. Sorry Jay, nothing personal but the show was just on too late for me.

But I just wanted to say something about his upcoming "retirement". Retirement is where your friends get together and reminisce about your career. Well, the only memory I have of Jay Leno (we are not friends or acquaintances) is the closest I have to come to meeting him.

In 1979, I was a 21 year old cook and aspiring chef in Lake Tahoe. I was working at a nightclub/hotel on the Nevada side. One of my first assignments was as a cook in the New York Deli at Harrah's in Lake Tahoe. The deli was an open kitchen and we could see our customer's enjoying their lunch.

I remember Jay Leno coming to town to do his bit. I believe he was the opening act for someone else. I think this was prior to him being a "headliner". But I remembered the name and the face because of his appearances on "The Tonight Show". And I still remember him coming to "my place" for lunch. I don't remember what he ate for lunch but I do remember him coming to the restaurant. This was the day I fixed lunch for Jay Leno.

Jay, thanks for the memories. Here's to many more.

D.

Songs About September

My new music CD came in the mail yesterday. I was listening to it last night. Pondering the beauty of the music and lyrics the thought occurred to me that we write different songs about September these days. Coming off of my previous post about "worry lines", I guess I was still in a pensive mood about how people feel about things.

My new CD is a 2004/2005 release from David Francey (The Waking Hour). On that CD is a September 11 related song called "Fourth of July". Beautiful song about the sentiment ("the sabers were rattling for all they were worth") in the USA a year after September 11, 2001. We write different songs about September these days.

I remember when I was in high school, a girl friend quoted a song to me, "I'll see you in September", an old Shelley Fabares song. I don't remember. More recently, I recall a song about growing old ("75 Septembers" by Cheryl Wheeler and performed by Peter, Paul and Mary on their "Lifelines" album.) These were both excellent songs. But they were written in a pre-9/11 mentality. Although "75 Septembers" certainly does deal with how things have changed in 75 years, I do believe we have a different reasons for writing songs with the emotions surrounding September.

That new view of September, post 2001, is what I find in David Francey's "Fourth of July". He captures the emotions describing the feeling in this country in 2002. I think we write different songs about September these days. How can we help it? Things have changed.

Lines

The other day at work I put my iPOD on to help me to concentrate better. I drowned out all of the outside noise and finally made some headway on my projects. But Brandi Carlile came on and I had to break concentration and just listen for a minute.

For those of you who don't know Brandi, I will just say "why not?" She has a beautiful, strong voice and the twins who accompany and write some of her music are just extraordinary. This afternoon I was listening to Brandi's song, "the story". The song starts with a reference to the lines on her face. The lines tell the story of her life.

This song reminded me of my mom. I remembered when I was a kid, probably about 10, I over heard my mother confide in an older lady friend of hers. My mom was worried about her newly developing crows feet and other assorted wrinkles that come along with growth. My mom was wondering what there was to be done. This older woman announced to my mother that those were nothing to be afraid or ashamed of. Those wrinkles, or laugh lines, were a tribute to how much she enjoyed life. A tribute to how often she smiled and how popular she was.

Some people call them "worry lines", some call them "laugh lines", whatever you want to call them, they make up who we are. We are what life makes us. We are what we become.Our experiences, our fears, our laughter, our smiles and our problems, they all take their toll on us. They all help to sculpt the lines of our face.

D.

Life, again

Tonight I had some time to sit and think. My wife had gone gambling with her sister and I had just finished working in the yard. I was tired and just sat in my chair and listened to the water shower the front yard with refreshment.

Regular readers and followers of this blog know that I believe we are all searching for a direction. And for the past two years I have been writing this blog for a variety of reasons. But tonight I started thinking about life and plans.

Life has a way of riding along with you as a co-conspirator. Your plans may be different, your dreams may be different than God's plan, but together you ride on the same bus.

I remember a line from a novel that Denis Johnson wrote in the 1980's**. Well, I remember the essence of it. There was a character who was thinking about her life. She was riding on a train or a bus. She thought her life was like the bus and she got on in her twenties and the bus spit her out in her forties with a handful of kids and a headful of grey hair.

Somedays I feel like that. Where did the time go? Why did it go by so fast?

Update, May 17, 2009:

**She was riding on a bus. "Angels" by Denis Johnson, (1983)
"Jamie pushed the child's words away, afraid of the dark the bus was rushing into, confused at being swallowed up so quickly by her new life, fearful she'd be digested in a flash and spit out the other end in the form of an old lady too dizzy to wonder where her youth had gone."

And thus the power of Denis Johnson's poetry, that after 25 years I still remember the greatness of his images. I read his first three books. I miss having that time. Thanks Mr. Johnson.

D.

I Told Her...

She says she stays awake at night
Just to hear me breathe.
She says she needs to assure herself
That I would never leave.
I'm not sure what I can say,
I said I would never go.
I told her that when we wed,
Twenty glad years ago.


C. 2006, David Normand

Medicare and Social Security

News from Washington today is that the medicare system and the social security system are in trouble. News? Ever since I was a teenager I have heard talk about reforming the social security system. Indeed it has been the accident of my birth (and hundreds of thousands of others) that have precipated this crisis. But I have been hearing about this for the last almost 40 years. It is interesting that once republicans had proposed investing in the private companies and the dems were really upset about that.

Now fast forward to today, medicare and Social security are hurting and the dems want to take it over. Only because it serves their power grabbing, freedom depriving needs.
We need to preserve freedom at all costs. We need to make our representatives work for our needs. And not their partys or their own needs for power.

What happened to serving the interest of the American people. Do they even wonder why their approval ratings are so low? Only 39% of the American people believe that congress is doing a good job. I just have no faith in congress at all. All they want to do is take more of our money and give it to their special interests. What ever happened to a level playing field? What ever happened to doing what is right?

We ought to elect a whole new bunch of representatives and senators. Every last one of them. The reason the founding fathers had terms was to avoid this career politician corruption. Throw them all out.

D.

Food For Thought

"We must strive for tolerance. Tolerance of others beliefs and cultures."

I have been hearing that a lot. But tolerance may prove to be somewhat elusive. We must be able to accept other peoples' beliefs. That is the very nature of a people, of a society. A belief system is by its definition a very powerful force in a person's life. In some ways it is what makes them who they are. We must acknowledge that belief, that characteristic. We must allow it to flourish and coexist with our own belief system. This is important. This creates an important dilemma.

I will leave you with that thought and this….Does tolerance of other people's faiths or beliefs trivialize our own? If we acknowledge others as having a right to believe or worship as they do does that diminish our own? It is a narrow and difficult path to walk.

Some quotes on tolerance:

"No man has a right in America to treat any other man "tolerantly" for tolerance is the assumption of superiority. Our liberties are equal rights of every citizen." --Wendell L. Willkie

"Tolerance. I have seen gross intolerance shown in support of tolerance." --Samuel Taylor Coleridge

"The responsibility of tolerance lies in those who have the wider vision." --George Eliot

"Tolerance comes with age. I see no fault committed that I myself could not have committed at some time or other. "--Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"People are very open-minded about new things--as long as they're exactly like the old ones. "--Charles F. Kettering

"Tolerance is another word for indifference." --W. Somerset Maugham

"Broad-minded is just another way of saying a fellow's too lazy to form an opinion." --Will Rogers
"It is easy to be tolerant of the principles of other people if you have none of your own. "--Herbert Samuel

"Tolerance is the oil which takes the friction out of life." --Wilbert E. Scheer

Update: This was actually a small part, notes really, of a larger essay that I started writing in 2001. It is still in work. I am such a lazy writer. Someday maybe.
D.

2009

On our current state - this observation from Roger Hedgecock, a local talk show host who just recently went into national syndication:

Greed leads to investment,
Envy leads to jealousy.

An interesting thought to ponder, thought I. Those with money want more and so they invest it in ways to make more. Some of those with out see those with and want more. Government steps in to make those jealous ones feel better.

Just a few thoughts from this afternoon.

mistake

A few days ago I was doing some outdoor cleanup in the back yard. I noticed on the eaves that there was a wasp nest, made of mud and twigs. I got stung by a wasp about two years ago. OUCH. So each spring I go around the house and check for the little mud nests under the eaves. I noticed some sort of bee hanging onto the mud. My children are grown up now and they can protect themselves but my nieces and nephew come over so I want the yard to be safe for them.

So tonight, I thought I have the time so I went out there and knocked down the mud hive. This was just before dusk. I knocked the hive out of the eave - it was on top of the floodlights. The bottom was mud so I just hit it with a long stick. As soon as I hit it and knocked it out from the eave, three birds flew out. It broke my heart. I thought it was a wasp nest. I didn't see any eggs fall out. I think two of the birds were the babies. They were hatched a few months ago.

I just started yelling "sorry, sorry, sorry." I know the birds can't understand that but I hope they could understand my tone. I went inside and told my wife. She said I could try and put the nest back. I used some tongs from the bbq to keep my human scent off of the nest. But the nest disintegrated as I tried to put it back. I felt so bad. I finally went inside and found a small box. I put the nest in the box and put the box in a nearby tree. It has lots of leaves on it. The box is hidden.

I went out later and checked on the box. It was empty. But I could not see any sign of the birds. I feel real bad about that. I was just trying to make things safe. I hope the birds are ok. We have lots of trees in our yard. I hope they had a back up house. Maybe they went to stay with friends. Or checked into a hotel. Like I said, I feel bad.

The Real Baseball Game

It is a little late in the season, late in the spring to be writing an ode to baseball but my son has been away from the game. The game hasn't been on my mind much lately. My son didn't want to play this year. This was the year when the competition started getting more intense. He was a good player and I think he enjoyed it but at his age is when the competition and the type of game changes. It gets more intense.

I miss watching my son play. I think he misses the game but he enjoys his downtime now. And now he can enjoy watching the game. He sees it for what it is.

And I have friends. Friends who have kids. Kids who play baseball.

One friend told me a story the other day about her son and his team. His team gave their parents "the MOST EXCITING game we've ever witnessed", she told me. I guess his team had lost their best all around player a week earlier. He got "promoted to the majors" and it dealt the team "our team a crippling psychological blow".

But I will let her tell it:

"Our team is good, but somehow having this guy really made the difference. Consequently, we got or tails kicked 4-12 in our Thursday night game. The boys were totally demoralized. E*** was so bummed before yesterday's (Friday) game, he told me he expected it would be same (or worse!) because 2 of the 'better' players on our team would not be there. (They went to a Padres' game at Petco [Park].)

Our team was preparing itself for a loss, and for the first few innings it looked as it that would be the case as they trailed 1-7. THEN, A MIRACLE HAPPENED: The bottom of our batting order (where the hitting is less consistent) started hitting everything and their team started bobbling and missing everything! Were it not for the 5-run 'mercy rule', our boys might have really pulled ahead, but it was not to be. Instead, we had to be content to hold the score at 6-7.

The other team came up and started scoring: It was 6-11 and it was time for the other team to be held down by the 'mercy rule'. THIS WAS OUR CHANCE! Could they do it again?

Suddenly the score was 11-11 ('mercy rule' applied), but it looked like we were sunk. The boys were certain they'd lose by one stinking run! NOW WE WERE INTO EXTRA INNINGS!!

The other team was quickly shut down again: Three boys, 9 pitches and 3 outs! YIKES! We were all on the edge of our seats! Could our boys rally once more? Was it possible?

INCREDIBLY... THEY DID! They loaded up the bases and Evan hit a grounder to mid-field, allowing the runner on third to come home and ...SWEET VICTORY!!!! A lot of the moms were in tears--me especially!

It was an incredible win! Not only had our boys beat a team they had not previously been able to defeat, but they did it without their former 'star' player AND without the other two 'better' players. I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!!!!! I DO! I DO!!!!

Amid my pride and astonishment, what came to mind was that this was AMERICA!!!! ONLY IN AMERICA! We could use a couple of great rallies like this ourselves about now!"

From PonderingDave:
I started thinking about why a team would react like that. The boys needed to believe in themselves. They all know what to do and how to do it. They have been told a million times. But they need to see that they can do it. Sometimes we are just the product of the expectations around us. That is why every one says "be positive". They did a great job. They had to. All the "superstars" were gone. Somewhere someone must have told them they could do it.

Yeah. I miss those days.

Sunday Afternoon at the Movies

My wife and I went to the movies this afternoon. I had not planned to go on a Sunday, there were so many other things to do this weekend. But we had time this afternoon and neither one of us wanted to sit around the house. We had two choices, for us anyway, based on our likes and dislikes. We chose the latest Russell Crowe movie. My wife likes Russell Crowe (and Ben Affleck) and I just love Helen Mirren and Rachel McAdams (loved her in "the Notebook" and "Redeye"). It was a win-win all around.

I was reluctant to go because I have not seen a real good movie in quite some time. I am kind of burned out. But I do love the movies. And I keep hoping to find some gem out there.

I think that I found one in this new movie, "State of Play". I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It was a smart screenplay, very inventive, and few nice little unexpected twists .

I found this movie to be very timely. It is about the investigation of the murder of a congressman's girlfriend and the newspaper business. The struggling newspaper business and bloggers. It is kind of reminiscent of "The Paper" and even the television series "24", though much better done. I heartily recommend it. It is not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Wednesday Musings

I have been oppressed, repressed, depressed. I have been pressed every way but im.

D. Normand, C. 1999

A Children's Song

I saw a bug crawl in the grass,
What a life to lead!
No one to follow nor to pass,
'tis no life of greed.

The green grass grows all around;
he is not dismayed.
He needs no colors, just the ground;
Life as such displayed.

Oh, to live like the bug I spied.
What a life 'twould be!
No one to scream "he lied".
No one to please but me.

By David R. Normand
Copyright 2005

Note: I wrote this several years ago when current events had deteriorated to unbelievable lows. I am dredging it up again because I want to tune it all out. It really never was a children's song. Maybe I was lamenting the fact that we do disagree. "Why can't we all just get along."

It is a shame that to disagree with some in this country is fast becoming an invitation to surveillance and distrust. I think Hillary once decreed that "we have a right to disagree". But I am afraid she only meant Democrats. I think the Homeland Security Department made that clear.

I still believe in the rights of the individual. I believe in Freedom and the constitution. I believe in the right of free speech and the right to assemble as free citizens.

Despair and Suicides

Despair

The news lately has not been good. Our world has been going through some tough times. We go through these recessions periodically, once every ten to thirteen years. These are sporadic occurrences, they happen in a free society. We must learn to prepare for the tough times. My mother always told me to save for a rainy day. Well, it is raining now and I forgot to save. I forgot the Boy Scout motto. "Be prepared."

I am lucky though. My wife and I have decent jobs. My sister, though, has been living and working the past few months under the threat of layoffs. Her husband works a seasonal industry and his field has been hit by the recession. I understand their worries. I hear things. My sister is a teacher. She works hard for ten months and then has two months off without a paycheck. It takes good planning to make it through the summer like that. I think that mindset is helping her through these times.

I remember the old fable about the ant and the grasshopper. The grasshopper spends his time hopping and dancing around while the ant spends his time storing food for the hard times. Winter arrives and the grasshopper is left without food and starves, while the ant is well prepared. (reference Aesop’s Fables or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ant_and_the_Grasshopper.

I have been here on this earth for 50 years. I have lived through several recessions. The trick is how we handle them. These are tough times. You cut back, tighten the belt and persevere until things get better. Use the industrious ant as an example and save for that rainy day. If we do that then we can be optimistic about our future.

But there is a more serious side to this and what strikes me is the depths of despair. So many people just give up. Our president spoke a lot about gloom and despair. The threat of a depression, while certainly possible, I think was a remote possibility. Our fundamentals are good. Our political and economic systems are both very good. I think we suffered a lot from the fear from our media and our politicians.

Suicides

But we haven’t taken the wisest course. We hear, almost every day, how bad things are. How our companies are failing and our system is broken. (It works just fine. Step back and let it work.). I see the despair. Just watch the news. Something like 50 people have been killed in the last month in murder suicides where some one has just given up. It breaks my heart. That depth of despair. It is almost unfathomable. I cannot understand suicide, that loss of all hope. How can you just give it all up like that?

Every time I think about or hear about suicides I remember a news story from my youth. Four or five spoken lines on an evening television newscast about a teenager found hanged to death in the swamps of south Louisiana. This young man had so much despair that his note said that he had purposely destroyed any evidence that would lead the police to his identity. He just wanted to go. He did not want to be remembered. A life so painful and lonely, he just wanted to be forgotten. But I remember, 35 years later, I remember.

What jolted me back to this memory was a news story from this past week. "Skeleton Found in Tree 29 Years after Suicide". Mon. Apr 6, 1:50 pm ET BERLIN (Reuters)

"The skeleton of a German retiree who tied himself to the top of a tree and shot himself to death nearly 30 years ago has been found by a hiker. German police in the southern town of Landshut said on Monday the 69-year-old man disappeared in 1980 and had been classified as missing. An 18-year-old hiker discovered a bone in the forest last week and brought it to police. They searched the area and spotted the skeleton hanging about 11 meters up, near the top of the spruce tree. "After searching the area we found the skeleton up in the tree with the pistol hanging on a rope next to it," police spokesman Leonard Mayer said. Police were able to identify the man through DNA testing and an artificial hip. (Reporting by Franziska Scheven; Editing by Farah Master)"

Clearly, the depths of despair.

Be careful out there. Plan on the hard times. Prepare. Everyday is a new promise, a new gift. Share it with someone.
D.

Update: I linked to a Wikipedia article about "The Ant and The Grasshopper", but also, be sure to check out Somerset Maugham's "The Ant and The Grasshopper". It is a very humorous short story with a little twist on Aesop's old Fable. D.

Thomas Jefferson on our current state

Thomas Jefferson - some quotes.
(ponderingdave's note: these quotes were sent to me in an e-mail. I liked them and thought I would share them. I have some comments of my own which I have placed in bold.)

"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe ." Thomas Jefferson (It is interesting to note that we seem to be implementing a lot of policies from Europe. European socialism is coming to the US.)

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." Thomas Jefferson

"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world." Thomas Jefferson

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. Thomas Jefferson

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government." Thomas Jefferson (I agree with Ronald Reagan, too much government is not the solution, it is the problem. The government was forcing the banks into making these bad loans.)

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. "Thomas Jefferson

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." Thomas Jefferson (Another reason I am against the registration of firearms. It is interesting to note that only law abiding citizens are required to register firearms. It is against the fifth amendment for criminals to register their firearms. They cannot be compelled to testify against themselves.)

"To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson (That was the reason that GWBush banned federal funding of the use of stem cells in medical research. He did not make that research illegal, he just banned federal funding. I do not want my tax dollars funding abortions overseas either.)

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered." Thomas Jefferson 1802. (Americans carry too much credit card debt. I am paying mine off.)

Ave Maria's Grotto.

When I was a kid growing up in the sixties and seventies my dad made sure that we saw as many special things as we possibly could. Every summer trip, summer vacation, when we took one, was an eventful trip with interesting side trips. (I have since been told that we didn't take a trip every year, but in my childhood memories I believe we did.)

On one of our trips to Washington, or to the Great Smokey Mountains, we stopped in a little town in Alabama. This was on our way to or from our destination. The mind fades, I can't remember if we were coming or going. (Come to think of it, I still have that problem today.) It doesn't matter. All I remember is that we spent several special days in Alabama.

I remember arriving at Huntsville, Alabama late in the afternoon. All of my siblings and myself were extremely hungry and it was too early for dinner. My dad stopped at a little convenience store for some munchies. We all waited in the car. He returned with such a delicious desert that I have never forgotten it. He brought out these fantastic oatmeal cookie pies with a sweet marshmallow filling. That was our introduction to Little Debbie Oatmeal pies. To this day whenever I see those Little Debbie boxes in the stores I remember that afternoon in Huntsville, Alabama. Such a sweet memory.

And also, on that same trip, I remember our tour of the Ave Maria's Grotto in Cullman, Alabama. I remember being fascinated by the little structures of historical sites made painstakingly by hand. I didn't know it at the time but the memory of having gone there and toured the magnificent grounds has stayed with me for almost 40 years now. I can still picture the place in my mind.

The Grotto is the creation of Brother Joseph Zoetl, a monk at the Benedictine St. Bernard Abbey. I am thankful for the internet because now I can visit this lovely place whenever I feel like it. Check out http://www.avemariagrotto.com/ and if you are ever in the area go see it in person.

D.

A Monday kind of Depressed

I mentioned to a friend that I was tired and depressed. Just a little tired after a weekend and just a little depressed, the Monday kind of depression. You know, when you realize it is Monday morning and you played the lotto but didn't win. That kind of depressed. This friend told me this little thought:

"I had a friend tell me just the other day that we all worry about the fact that we are these bodies going around with spirits in them and we worry so about all of the little things when the truth is that we are actually all spirits using a body to get to places and touch people we are meant to get to and touch....."

Whether you believe in the spirit or not, you must feel something when you connect with another human being. Cherish that.

Commitment - A Starbucks pondering moment.

(With Apologies to Cosmo)

I have blogged on this before. My wife and I walk several days a week and we often stop at our local Starbucks' coffee shop for refreshment. I like to read when I am drinking my coffee. The Starbucks philosophy - put inspiring little quotes on the throwaway coffee cups to keep people coming back. ("The Way I See It #76 - Commitment"). Hey, they got me. I like the coffee. I ordered a skinny coffee drink. I am committed to walking. I am commtted to coffee.

Commitment. Quotes on coffee cups. Good marketing ploy. I enjoy little philosophical platitudes. Little inspirational notes to get us going...Important...gets us thinking.

Starbucks notes - "The Way I See It #76":
"The irony of commitment is that it's deeply liberating - in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life."

Anne Morriss (A Starbucks customer from New York City. She describes herself as an "organization builder, restless American citizen, optimist").

Note to Anne. I am impressed. What a beautiful thought. What an inspiration. March 20th, First day of Spring. Great day for a commitment. There are so many things to commit to. I am overwhelmed. So many things I want. So many things to commit to. I am committing to writing more and getting better at it. I am committed to spring; to planting a garden; to becoming a better human. Sounds like a New Year's resolution. Well, any milestone that shocks us back to reality, back to the tasks at hand is a good starting point. Personally, I need the reminders.

I shall remain committed. (Or perhaps I should be "committed"...Ha Ha. Couldn't resist.)

D.

life

He woke one day, more old than young and tried to remember how he got this far. (got this way). What happened to the plans he made? Where were his fancy cars? Where was his big house? With the valley view? And the acreage?
He knew that the work he had done had kept his family dry and secure. Warm and well nourished. Paid for their education and well being.
But what about his nourishment and well being? What about his education?

Natasha Richardson

I am deeply saddened by the death of Natasha Richardson. Such a beautiful actress. I was familiar with her work. I enjoyed her acting. I respect her family. My heart and prayers go out to her family.

Life is a precious gift and so very fragile. To quote Sgt. Esterhaus, "Let's be careful out there."

D.

A Poem

Someone commented a few days ago that they liked my poetry. They wanted me to publish more. Well, I thought I might have already published this one. Not sure. So, here it is (again?):

Bar Fight Flirtations.

Me, the contradiction.
Goodness tainted by desire,
Nervous, graceless brush with your silence.

And my pseudo-conversations
(That you found obnoxious).
my lost soul

Fleeing the numb exhaustion of rejection
Ravaged by desire,

Washed with sleep,
the little death,
Then stricken with more tragic love.

Drowning, only then to drift hopelessly away.
Unremembered.

D. Normand. C. 2006

More of my poems can be found the following site:
(you can rate my poems there if you like.)
http://www.poemhunter.com/david-normand/poems/

Thanks.
D.

World Baseball Classic...communism vs. capitalism

I was lucky enough to attend the World Baseball Classic in San Diego this past weekend. My friend, Bob and I had tickets to the premier game yesterday - Japan versus Cuba. That was an odd event. Watching hundreds of people cheer and applaud a communist country on American soil, an odd sight (to me anyway). Kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Bob said it is not the baseball player's fault they are stuck in such a country.

He is right, of course, but we still need to stand up for freedom. Japan was another story. While standing for the national anthem of Japan, Bob turned to me and said his uncle would turn over in his grave if he saw Bob doing this - standing in respect of the flag of Japan. Times change in 70 years. I guess we have grown in our global spirit. Or our memories have faded over the years. Maybe both.

Bob is 72. He rew up in a different part of the country and a different time in the century. Yet we share many of the same values. My parents instilled in me a strong work ethic. And I share that ethic with Bob. I thought it interesting the two different reactions. I was ok with our honoring the participation of Japan, yet "bothered" by the participation of Cuba. Yet Bob, only twenty years older than myself, had no problem with Cuba, but was "bothered" by Japan. I guess we just have different personal visions of the world.
D.

Note: I am still a baseball fan. I did enjoy the game on Sunday. I may have to come back and watch some major league games this year.

Update, 03/18/09: I have been informed that my little blog post is being translated into Chinese and reposted to Japan with words altered to make it look like Chinese propaganda. This was never my intent. I am a staunch anti-communist. I believe in personal freedom and liberty and I will fight for that with my dying breath. I have boycotted China (in as much as possible) for many years now. I have many Japanese electronic products scattered around my house.

I fear this may be a problem with translation or it may be intentional. Please know that I do not condone it. I was merely stating my observation of a moment shared between two friends of different generations. I apologize for any offense given.

I would like to refer to a poem I wrote lamenting the lack of freedom in China:
Http://www.ponderingdave.blogspot.com/2008/10/world-away.html

D.

Work

I am just thinking how tired I am and that I must go to bed because I have to work in the morning. I remembered these quotes:

"It's a shame that the only thing a man can do for eight hours a day is work. He can't eat for eight hours; he can't drink for eight hours; he can't make love for eight hours. The only thing a man can do for eight hours is work." William Faulkner

Colleen C. Barrett:
"When it comes to getting things done, we need fewer architects and more bricklayers."

"Work is the refuge of people who have nothing better to do"
Oscar Wilde quotes (Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic, 1854-1900)

Jonas Salk:
The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more.

Frederick Douglass:
People might not get all they work for in this world, but they must certainly work for all they get.

And my own personal favorite...

Abraham Lincoln:
"My father taught me to work; he did not teach me to love it."

But believe me, I do consider myself very lucky to have a job. I enjoy the work I do. I am getting better at it (it is a new job). I am learning. And my wife and I are spending money and trying our best to keep the economy going strong. We are doing our part.

But work is such an unnatural endeavor. Ah, toil we must.

D.

Another Death in Baseball

Here we are in the Spring of the year when a young man's thoughts turn to love, and Spring Training. Ah, yes, baseball, my game. I admit, this year I have an interest, albeit a fraction of what it once was. I have tickets to the World Baseball Classic. World baseball, the Baseball World Cup. I was excited when baseball was a part of the Olympics. But that was several years ago. I am not that much of an enthusiast anymore. Baseball has become a different game.

I used to have respect for the game. Respect for the players and coaches. But in the past few years (some might say decades) the game has changed. It sometimes seems that it is more about the scandals and money than it is about the game itself. Now don't get me wrong. But I know the game is also about people. The people who play it, coach it and manage it. All of these people have stories.

One particular story caught my attention this week. There was a minor story in the sports section of my internet news page the other day the may have gone unnoticed by many sports enthusiasts. I don't remember hearing about the trade last year when it first came to light and if I did, I am sure I probably laughed about it. I can be insensitive like that. But the more I thought about it...the less funny it became.

And then, a few days ago I read this article:

"Minor Leaguer, Traded for Bats, Died of Heroin Overdose"
(Wednesday, March 04, 2009 AP/Tia Owens-Powers)

"Bat Man" or "Bat Guy" or "Bat Boy" — that's what they called him. Ask the most hard-core baseball fan about John C. Odom and most likely you'll get a blank stare. Yet millions of people have heard of the slender right-hander. He was the minor league player traded for 10 maple bats. It became a big joke last May, when word of the unusual swap jumped off the sports pages, and Odom went from pitcher to punch line."

You can read the rest of the article here: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3950464 I had tears in my eyes when I read of John Odom's death. It seemed so sad. I also wondered whether "the trade" had anything to do with it.

In the days since I read the news and today, there has been more information come to light about John Odom's "makeup" - his psyche. His current team and family and friends are stating that "the trade" had nothing to do with his death. They are stating that his death might have been the result of bad decisions while partying after the election in November. Give recent events in my life (my nephew JJ's accidental overdose) I can see how this may be the case. But I also know that there was a pain that affected my nephew. And how well can anyone ever know what is going on in another person's head and heart. May they both rest in peace.

I used to be Mr. Baseball in my family. I read the sports page everyday. I soaked up the tv news, the radio news. I listened to friends talk about baseball teams. I read minor league reports and journals. I loved it. Until the baseball player Ken Caminiti died. From my blog of May 19, 2008: "...I stated earlier that I have fallen away from baseball. The drugs and steroids scandals have really turned me off. I remember a fallen player, a once great competitor, whose skills waned a bit. He was out of baseball and died of a drug over dose. (I actually remember quite a few players that this happened to). I also remember owners and managers giving quotes to newspapers stating that they knew this one particular player (or players) was (were) using drugs but they were winning, so... " Have we lost so much of our respect for one another that we could treat another human being this way? Such a shame. So, I have weened myself off of baseball. It makes it easier, of course, now that my team is in last place. But I still miss the great ones, and I miss their stories.

If the game changes, I may be back. Until then, I wish them all well.

I hear also, that Manny Ramirez signed a $45 million contract with the Dodgers. He said he agreed to take a cut because the economy is bad. Give me a break. These people make me sick. That kind of money for playing a kids game? I have not been to a major league ball game in over two years. I may never go back. I will go if my wife or son ask me to take them. I will indulge another's desire. But for myself, I will pass. It no longer holds the same interest for me. I miss the respect for human achievement and dignity. There are a great many other issues that will have a greater and lasting affect on human culture than baseball.

Just some thoughts. Thanks for stopping by.
D.

Our Financial Mess

I read the other day where Rep. Barney Frank wants to prosecute those involved in the financial mess. I wonder if he is going to voluntarily surrender himself to Federal Prison where he and his fellow Democrats belong.

Sometime around 2003 the Bush Administration asked congress to look into regulating the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but Rep. Frank was adamant about the banking industry not needing regulation. Sam Dealey in US News and World Report had a great article about how Barney Frank was a major part of the problem. (http://www.usnews.com/blogs/sam-dealey/2008/9/10/barney-franks-fannie-and-freddie-muddle.html).

Barney Frank and his colleague, Chris Dodd, both got sweetheart deals from Countrywide, let's not forget that.

How can they get away with this? They cause a problem, or at the very least fail to do anything about it, then blame it on other people and keep their jobs. No wonder people get tired of American politics.

I also heard the other day that some small banks were told by the Feds to give questionable loans to individuals who were high risks. When the banks balked at such a practice the Feds fined them. It has long been a tenet of the Democratic party to give housing to low income groups. Since the housing projects didn't work the Democrats thought they could try home ownership. This might have worked if the markets had stayed hot. These high risk, low income borrowers could have flipped the houses for a tidy profit. But when the market collapsed, we come to where we are today. Why not let the market work?

I pay my bills. I pay my mortgage. There is no help out there to let me lower my payments. But my tax dollars are going to people who probably should not have bought a house in the first place. Am I bitter? Yeah, a little bit. The government is borrowing from my future and my kids future to get their ass out this mess. Let the bastards default. Let the banks fail. And let the people responsible in congress, the finance and banking committees, let them lose their jobs over it. D.

Just for the Fun of it.

http://www.random.org/

These are my numbers (from 1 to 100):

94 92 35 12 78 10 74 89 36 45 59 16 14 75 43 77


I was going to stop at the first single digit that randomly popped up. None did. Then I got bored.

And I looked for a random thought:

Creativity is the ability to introduce order into the randomness of nature.
—Eric Hoffer

And then, a random decision:

I am going to bed. Good night.
D.

Caught In the Darkness,

The elusive mantra stumbles,

and in its moment of weakness
I make it my own.

I drink it's nourishment
and, for a moment, I am alive again.

Ah, but then, reality returns,

and conscious thought invades.
I return to doubt.

A body feeds on meat;

it builds its flesh up strong.

What nourishes my soul?

Words of love endear

where flesh is withered and gone

What nourishes my soul?


By David Normand
February 21, 2001,
Copyright 2001

Mediterranean Marinated Shrimp

I stumbled across a blog from my local area. (http://culinarynerd.blogspot.com/) I found it on Sunday when I had a whelming craving for donuts. I passed. I need to watch my weight. I had cereal instead. Maybe next week.

I don't know if I ever mentioned it, but I used to be a chef. I worked in restaurants for 14 years, on and off. I started at a diner and worked up to a saucier at a four star hotel/restaurant in Lake Tahoe. I had a great time working in restaurants. I love cooking. I am not the greatest chef, never was, never wanted to be, but I know my way around the kitchen. I gave it up when my kids came along. I wanted to be there when they came home from school. Sometimes I miss it. But I love the web. There are so many cooking sites.

But I found this recipe in my computer files. Try it and enjoy:

Shrimp appetizer marinated with oregano and basil, olive oil, red wine vinegar and thinly sliced onions (red or yellow).

Serve with lettuce and remoulade sauce:
(1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 anchovy, mashed
2 teaspoons drained, minced capers
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Ground white pepper or black pepper.)

Have a great meal.

D.

Lost Souls

Fleeing the numb exhaustion of rejection
And ravaged by desire,
Washed with sleep, the little death,
Then stricken with more tragic love.
Drowning, only then to drift hopelessly away.
Unremembered.

Stopped and waited for Heaven's gate.
But it was not open to me.
Learned and changed but was too late,
Lost…but only by decree.

2006, August. David Normand

God's Anonymous Miracle

It has been said that "a coincidence is a small miracle in which God chooses to remain anonymous.” I am certainly convinced of that notion.

Given the recent events in my family (the loss of a beloved nephew and some minor health scares), my wife and her four sisters decided that they needed some time to sort out all the feelings and reconnect with each other. One of the sisters suggested a short cruise along the coasts of southern California and northern Mexico. This was a four day cruise which would allow the five of them some down time for introspection and relaxation.

It seemed the time was right for that reunion. But during the planning it became evident that the time just was not right for their older sister, Peggy, to join them. It was unfortunate because all of them were looking forward to being together. But, alas, it was not to be. Peggy had family responsibilities that would not allow her to be freed for the four day cruise. The remaining four sisters left on the cruise without their older sister.

One of the cruise stops was Ensenada, Mexico. Because of the recent gang related events in Mexico I warned my wife to be careful. She assured me that she would not stray from the path and that she had her sisters there to protect her and they could help protect each other. They would be safe.

On these cruises excursions are set up to allow passengers to tour the port cities. When they disembarked in Ensenada they immediately went to the line for their chosen excursion.

While in line for the shopping tour, another lady came up to them and mentioned that her husband was unable to accompany her to shore (for whatever reason). She asked my wife and her sisters (sans sister Peggy) if it would be ok if she tagged along with them. My wife's family group said "absolutely" and introductions were made. "This is J----, C----, B----, and N---."

The new lady said "Nice to meet you, my name is Peggy." At the very mention of the name "Peggy", my wife and her sisters let out a scream, which I am sure frightened this newcomer. Finally, noticing the look on her face, some explanation was given for the outburst. With the addition of "Peggy" to the sisters tour the mission was complete. There was a unity in time and space as all the sisters were present in a spiritual sense, in thought and mind. Though physically left behind, Peggy had arrived in spirit and surrogate. All was right with the cosmos. And the rest of the day was spent in shopping bliss.

What an amazing little oddity that is. There is a force in the universe that likes to have things in their place. There is some great equalizer out there. I am sure that my wife's parents were looking down and had something to do with this plan. A little, simple coincidence, a little, simple miracle where God wanted to remain anonymous.

D.

Ash Wednesday

I have to thank my friend Cosmo (http://regularlatte.blogspot.com/) who blogs on his "views from a coffeeshop". He reminded me that Shrove Tuesday (here in the states I call it Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday) had just passed. That would make today Ash Wednesday. I used to go and get the ashes on my forehead. I did not today. I was at work before sunrise. I have not been to church in a few years. That may be the subject of another blog, perhaps a whole web page. No. I will not burden you with that part of my spiritual journey.

I miss New Orleans. There has been discussion, these past few years since Katrina, of my family taking a trip to New Orleans. I would love to show them my old stomping grounds. Although sadly, my old high school did not make it through Katrina. It made it through but sustained so much water damage that I heard it had to be torn down. Oh well. All that I can say is "we can rebuild it. we have the technology". Make it better.

Still, New Orleans is rich in culture, history, folklore and style. I would love to share it with my family. We are due. We must go. Someday.

I have yet to decide what to give up for Lent. I used to be pretty good at Lent. I would pick something to do without and I would too. Lately, I just try to be good. We shall see. I will try. That is really all I can do. Happy Ash Wednesday to you all. God Bless.
D.

UPDATE: February 28, 2009.
I enjoyed the Mardi Gras parades (there were a lot - a hundred?), I enjoyed the parties. I enjoyed the Mardi Gras season. I did not enjoy seeing all drunks wandering the streets, the scandalous French Quarter behavior and all the trash afterwards. New Orleans was a religious area. It seemed hypocritical to me to have such debauchery just to squeeze it in prior to the religious season of Lent. Why not strive for a balance all year round? It seemed rather odd to me. I try to be good. But I do enjoy a little fun every once in a while too.

But I do miss New Orleans. I wonder if the city of my youth will hold the same magic whenever I return? I recall the city with limited fondness. When I turned 18 I could not wait to get out of there. I jumped at the first chance I had to move to California. I think it paid off.
D.

Tracy Grammer Show

Folk music concerts are oftentimes in obscure venues or even in plain old folks back yards. One particular evening this past weekend, the venue was at Boulevard Music in Culver City. Such is the nature of folk music, not as popular as it used to be but thankfully there are still talented practictioners. I was lucky enough to experience an intimate evening of Carter and Grammer folk music.

I love modern folk music. One of my favorite folk artists is the duo, Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer. Dave Carter was a great songwriter who wrote some amazingly poetic songs. Dave Carter died tragically in 2002. Thankfully, Tracy Grammer is still playing Dave Carter's music and also sharing some songs of her own.

On February 10th, 2009, I did a casual check of Tracy Grammer's website. I was just checking for tour dates. I do that every once in a while to make sure that I don't miss out on some great folk music. I was glad I did. I was informed that she would be doing a show at Boulevard Music in Culver City on February 20th – my day off. I immediately made plans to attend.

That day I was surfing the net and looking for music videos on Youtube. I found some amazing Dave Carter songs that people uploaded. I was inspired to check on Tracy's site for concert information. I found the Feb. 20th date. I thought about but at first decided against it - it was a three hour drive each way. Then I read a comment to one of the videos. A gentlemen had written that he had tickets to see a concert in 2002 and heard two weeks before the concert that Dave Carter had died. He went out and took down a poster announcement of the concert and had it framed. I decided then that life can throw all kinds of situations at you and you should choose the moments that are important to you. I decided that I would make the effort to go and see Tracy, even though it meant a three hour drive each way.

My cousin lives in Culver City. My daughter goes to college in the area. So I asked my daughter if she would like to go. She enthusiastically said yes. I mentioned it to my cousin and his wife that we would be in Culver City for the concert and his wife responded that it was near their house and they would like to attend also. I bought four tickets.

We arrived at the venue and immediately saw Tracy on the stage doing a sound check. I love these small venues. It was nice to talk to Tracy before the show. And then it was time for the show.

Tracy started the show with an Emmy Lou Harris song and then jumped right into four songs from the Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer collection - "Crocodile Man", "Ordinary Town", "Hard to Make It", and "Shadows of Evangeline". And there you have it. Within the first twenty minutes I was glad that I made the trip. Tracy has a beautiful strong voice and she carries the songs well. She tells Dave's stories wonderfully well. Being a poet myself I appreciate the complexities of Dave Carter's songs.

Tracy closed out the first set with two very spiritual war songs. I am not a fan of protest folk. I do understand the need and I may agree with the sentiments expressed but I want more from music than that. I want to be lifted to a higher spiritual level. On that I think Tracy agrees with me because I felt lifted by "Travis John" and by her rendition of "Laughlin Boy", which has been a favorite of mine since I first heard it on "Flower of Avalon".

After a brief intermission Tracy came back out for the second half of her show. She started this with a cover of Tom Russell's "Blue Wing". This song I had heard and the story kind of fits with my post Sunday, February 15, 2009 Anonymous or Outside of a Small Circle of Friends. Somewhere, sometimes things go wrong and life doesn't always turn out the way you want.

I was happy to see Tracy cover two of Paul Simon's songs. I also enjoyed the fact that she has heard of David Francey. I do enjoy his music. But I was extremely happy when she sang "The Mountain". And to know that Dave got to hear Joan Baez cover his song and play it for the Dalai Lama... just adds to the spiritual loftiness of the song itself.

Tracy Grammer puts on a great show. She can tell a funny story and she can reach for your heart. Tracy is a great singer but she is also a great songwriter. Her tribute to Dave Carter, "The Verdant Mile" was beautifully written and sung. Tracy, thank you for your music and for keeping the music of Dave Carter alive for us.

D.